Pharmacy branches
Where are we now?

A territorial network under strain

France's pharmacy network is being put to the test: in ten years, almost 10% of pharmacies have closed (i.e. around 2,000 dispensaries). In some rural communities, this trend is leading to the risk of a pharmaceutical desert.

In response, an experimental solution has been developed: pharmacy antennas.

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The (almost) first French antenna

The very first pharmacy outpost was administratively authorized in 2022 in Tende (Alpes-Maritimes), in a very particular context: the village had just been hit by flooding following storm Alex. The project, supported by ARS PACA and the local CPTS, aimed to re-establish access to healthcare for the commune's inhabitants, but due to a lack of recruitment, the experiment struggled to find its stride and never saw the light of day.

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Renewed momentum

Since the enactment of the Valletoux law on December 27, 2023, antennas have benefited from a clear legal framework. The experiment, steered by the DGOS and the ARS, currently involves six pilot regions:

• Corsica
• Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
• Brittany
• Centre-Val de Loire
• Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
• Occitanie

A total of 6 projects have been approved. Four branches are already operational, and further openings are planned in the coming months.

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Conditions to be met

The experiment is governed by precise specifications. Among the main conditions:

• Town of less than 2,500 inhabitants
• recent closure of a pharmacy with no buyer
• Parent pharmacy adjacent to or closest to the future branch
• Antenna opening guaranteed for at least 3 years
• A pharmacist must be present at the antenna site.
• regular stocking of medicines

Opening hours vary according to the project, from a minimum of 2 half-days (8h) per week (La Chapelle d'Anguillon), to a minimum of 4 days (32h) per week (Coupiac).

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Typical antenna

On the basis of current projects, an initial profile can be drawn up:

• 44 m² average dispensing area
• located 20 km from its parent pharmacy
• open an average of 15 hours a week
• in a town of around 500 inhabitants
• with financial support of around €60,000 over three years (FISS + FIR)

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Challenges and excesses

The experiment has raised both expectations and reservations.

In Cozzano (Corsica), the parent pharmacy had to deal with unprecedented administrative and billing difficulties with the CPAM.

Other pharmacists, such as Angélique Siettel (Loire), point out the logistical complexities: finding premises, the need to recruit, adapting software, coordinating with wholesalers...

The unions are of two minds:

• Pierre-Olivier Variot (USPO) is in favor, but calls for vigilance regarding the distance between the antenna and the parent pharmacy.
• Lucie Bourdy Dubois (FSPF) warns against out-of-spirit implantations, for example when a branch is created close to other existing pharmacies.

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Between hope and concern

Is this a miracle solution to a weakening regional network, or will it open the door to excesses that will make it even more fragile? This is the long-awaited answer that this experiment will provide, and it's one that we'll be watching closely, with a potentially major impact on the pharmaceutical landscape in the years to come.